Make More Then The Average Salary

ask questions

The onus is on you to arm yourself with information to justify your argument for better pay. Here are some sample questions to toss out as you negotiate your salary, whether for an entry-level position or not:

What is the salary range for the position?

What is the basis for that range? In other words, what does a person in this position need to have to rise to the upper range?

Is there precedent for the company to go beyond that range? If so, what were the circumstances? If not, what has to occur in the future for that precedent to be set?

What is the average salary raise for this position from one year to the next?

How often will a person in this position be subject to a performance and salary review? What are the milestones a person in this position has to attain on a regular basis in order to receive a raise or promotion without negotiation?

do your research

You have to conduct a fair amount of diligence on your own in order to be in a good position to negotiate a higher wage. Apart from the information you may derive from the questions above, here are some more points to address before you make your plea.

I suggest, for one, that you do whatever you can to discover the average industry salary range for your job type. There is quite a bit of pertinent information available on the Internet (check the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), so the World Wide Web is your best bet here.

Advertisements for like jobs that list a salary range are an obvious barometer as well. In addition, ask friends, family and industry contacts you trust to offer their two cents too. They may know something you do not.

Last but not least, it may be worth your while to contact professional associations, recruiters and headhunters and find out what you can about the average salary for your job and industry. Just remember to take the information with a grain of salt and cross-reference it thoroughly.

The data you uncover with a bit of research may lend a very persuasive and powerful argument your way.

...at the job interview

This comes up a lot in questions readers send my way, so I will address it here. It is never comfortable to discuss salary when the job is not even yours yet, but the question is inevitable and is, in essence, your first potential turn at wage negotiations.

When an employer asks what your salary requirements are, never answer directly. For the most part, this is a lose-lose proposition. Instead, relay the expectations of the position and what you hope to deliver in return. and then ask what the range is.

In the same vein, realize the fruitlessness of an honest, or even dishonest, response when an employer asks about your previous salary. Rather, tell them that your preference is to discuss the requirements of the job further before you negotiate compensation.

In addition, always offer the employer an opportunity to increase the offer on the table. Never jump at a salary they throw your way. Instead, take the time to consider it and whenever possible, increase the range so that their top figure is your bottom figure. Thus, a $40,000 to $45,000 salary range becomes $45,000 to $50,000 when you counter-offer. Just make sure that there is industry precedent for that wage.

As you embark on your mission to get paid , remember, above all else, never to bend the truth. Be honest about why you deserve a raise and if they press you, do give the exact salary of your previous job.

One last tip is to bear in mind the company's total investment in you as an employee, from a health plan, company car or any other perks they remunerate you with. If they grant you a raise, one of these could somehow disappear. Make sure that this doesn't happen — get everything in writing.